Mechanical Engineer
(Female, Age 31) from Seattle, WA
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 31 who works as a Mechanical Engineer in Seattle, WA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Mechanical Engineer |
|---|---|
| Salary | $77,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Years Experience | 1 year |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
The company manufactures external defribilators, both automatic and user controlled. They have about 800 employees and is currently a part of the Medtronic corporation.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I work in the Quality department. I determine root cause for problems that the users encounter while using our product.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
health, medical
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
probably under
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes. this is something I usually enjoy if I like the people I deal with. I probably could never do customer service since I wouldn’t have control over who I would have to talk to.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 5
Hours: 4
Co-Workers: 3
Supervisors: 7
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 6
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Arrive at work. get coffee and oatmeal. |
| 8am to 9am | Catch up on e-mails and prepare meetings coming up. It usually involves getting notes ready. I also catch up on any voicemails that may have been left after I left for work. |
| 9am to 10am | Group meeting to discuss the current status of projects. I usually give a short description of what happened last week and get input from other members of the group if I run into any roadblocks. I also provide input for other projects. |
| 10am to 11am | Working on documentation for a meeting later. This includes a PowerPower presentation and notes to discuss the proposed design for product change. this also includes meeting agenda. |
| 11am to 12pm | Continue documentation. Call vendor with questions about a quote I just received. break for work out. |
| 12pm to 1pm | Finish working out. Eat lunch at desk. It gives me a chance to catch up on personal e-mails. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Working with ProE to finish designing a product. Make a copy of the drawing to share with coworker to discuss any possible flaws. I go back to my design to make any recommended changes. |
| 2pm to 3pm | have the Design Review for part. I lead the meeting with the reason for change, possible solution, and the impact of change. There are representatives from all departments to discuss possible flaws with design. |
| 3pm to 4pm | Write up meeting minutes right away so I don’t forget the details of the meeting. This also includes action items that were brought that needs to be completed for the project to be completed. E-mail meeting minutes to participants. |
| 4pm to 5pm | catch up on any e-mails I missed while in meetings. I try to clean up my desk so that I can come back and get started right away the next day. Leave for home |
| 5pm to 6pm | |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
internet
What was the application process?
submiteed resume online
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes. I had one phone interview. Then I was interviwed by three different people one morning.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
Mostly questions about my prior experiences and how they thought it would apply to current position. How I would deal with stress.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
No. There was a lot of uncertainty in the company and department that wasn’t described during the interview process.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
BS in engineering. MS in Electrical engineering.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. My studies prepared me for the position.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Go to school and get a degree in engineering.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Technical skills would be key. Having communication skills (both in oral and written) will set you apart from the rest of the crowd when applying for a job. It’s a skill that is hard to find in the technically oriented group.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
be proactive in finding projects. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. I eventually want to start a company and this is giving me a glimpse of another aspect of design control.
What are your current career goals?
Starting a company.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
No.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Research Associate | 3.5 years | 43000 | Working in a research lab in the physics department. Designed apparatus for biological experiments. |
| Prior Job 2 | Project Enigneer | 1.5 years | 57000 | Designed new dental products. Conducted tests to change manufacturing processes. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.7
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.1 | Harvey Mudd College | Engineering, BS |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
3.8 | Washington University in St. Louis | Electrical Engineering, MS |
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